port crows match day thread

[dcstkfc]

Might I add that Pittard looks like he's going to be a very good player (a dagger in my heart after we lost him in the Lovett debacle)

 

[El_Scorcho]

Wonderful game!

I love Pittard, he's brilliant. Good attack, very intelligent player and he's only going to get better. Takes the game on and has the vision and disposal to do so.

O'Shea needs to work a bit on the clangers but I think he's shown he has what it takes, he just needs a bit of time.

Ebo in the middle worked wonders. If he doesn't have the engine then rotate him with Gray.

 

[Schulzenfest]

I actually thought O'Shea was pretty good tonight There was that little patch in the third quarter when he ****ed up 3 times in as many minutes, that was terrible, but other than that I thought he was good. Should play against the GC next week.

 

[Forzaport]

It's never a good thing to generalise but i agree, they can all go **** themselves. I don't care how nice they want to pretend to be.

We had a group of about 20 of them plonk themselves down next to us and a more obnoxious, frontrunning group of plebs you will never see. When Adelaide were up and about they were poking us with flags, screaming in faces, trying to provoke shit, chanting "look at the scoreboard" 10 minutes into the second quarter. All well and good, but once they started getting hammered barely a murmur was heard from the spineless pricks. Then they resorted to cliche'd mocking of Port supporters, and then, when it was really being served up back at them, it was all "hey man, it's just football, it's not life and death".

Nah, **** 'em all. Hope they're really suffering.

I had quite a few Crow supporters surrounding me in the members stand as well. They were generally ok, but oh boy do they go quiet when the momentum shifts. Then, half way through the last quarter the Port supporters started chanting "START THE CAR!"

 

[Waspy79]

I actually thought O'Shea was pretty good tonight There was that little patch in the third quarter when he ****ed up 3 times in as many minutes, that was terrible, but other than that I thought he was good. Should play against the GC next week.

Watch the last quarter. He made several blatant errors. I was in the minority in being happy to see him retained for this weeks game but I reckon we can improve if we can replace him with someone with a bit more polish and composure just for the time being. PJ Power identified Moore and Jacobs as the players - so until they are fit and in form - I reckon O'Shea will stay.

 

[Moore26]

I know its harsh but i think logan will be the first to go from the side.Turns it over way too often and hasnt any upside imo.Jacobs willl replace him in our side soon enough.
I thought oshea was really good to be honest, kicked the goal to give us the lead and took a really good grab going back with the flight.
Big positive was definately westoff rodan and motlop in form, were very very average last week so good to see them in form.

 

[kaysee]

1st game i've seen this season (was overseas for 1st 3) and after seeing the 1st quarter and half (on top of first 3 results) I was thinking what long year it is going to be... but then players/coaching just turned it around.

My Kornes thoughts (and Pearce to a lesser extent) are well documented around here, so I was happy Primus followed through on his word (unlike MW who would threaten it but then always give his 'stars' 1 more chance b/c of past dues).

I got concerned early about our game plan or lack of, but Primus he made the moves they turned the game:
- Ebert to the middle (his bigger body should have been in there years ago)
- Trengove into the ruck/forward (had a purple patch in there to get us going)
... and our intensity lifted around the ball and forward.

My 1st time seeing Pittard/Oshea playing and Pittard looks a player that is for sure... reminds me a bit like a lanky Bryce Gibbs. Oshea made a bunch of mistakes but at least he knew how to find it... and in no-way is he the worst AFL player ever. They're both young so mistakes happen... and now is the time to learn when we're not seriously going to challenge the top 4 for 3-5 years. IMO I think it is important to give new young players 2-3 game blocks when breaking them into the AFL... let them adjust to the tempo and see what they have. I don't like giving them 1 game, they're a bit shell-shocked/excited, have a dud (against a top team) and they're ripped out back to the SANFL. Having said that now Oshea's had a taste I think it is time for him to be dropped down until injuries/form demand he return this year.

Finally, even though we won well our skills and structure (especially forward) are still worrying... better teams will belt us. We had a lot of "scrapping goals" tonight.

I have pretty much accepted this year as a real development year and it is going to be terribly frustrating... but acceptable as long as we see players improving and a game style/plan evolving.

Cheers.

 

[Powerade 08]

Surj/Chaplin BOG

Ebert/Gray/Rodan should all be spending time up forward and in the middle.

Butcher needs to come in v GC to give us a target up forward. Or we play Trengove up forward.

Broadbent was better as the game went on.

Motlop is back. Petters played well.

Pittard was ok and will be very good. I like O'Shea but he hasn't been good so far.

There is a lot not to like about Hitchcock.

Much better without Kane.

Westhoff isn't good enough in that role, the marks are nice but the rest is not so good. Keep him up forward.

Port haven't ruined the weekend for once!

 

[The Smaller Warrior]

**** yeah.

ALl the way from Japan, and im loving it.

Pittard looked great, though O:Shea was also very good.

MOtlop and Harlett looked fantastic. Will still make the 8 this year, dont give a **** what any of you ***** say. Cannot wait to be back in thecountry to watch another game

 

[PJ Power]

I know its harsh but i think logan will be the first to go from the side.Turns it over way too often and hasnt any upside imo.

Logan has been enormous and is currently the last in line to get dropped any time soon. He has been our only consistent contributor in every game this year, and I saw his performance no differently tonight. Love the way he plays in defence and if it enables Surjan to create pressurised havoc closer to our goal, then that might not be a bad thing.

Logan stays.

 

[Pedro59]

I think the structures are fine, TBH. We are kicking longer to big forward targets like Westhoff and Chad (as well as mobile small targets, like Gray and Motlop). It's not a dissimilar gameplan to Collingwood, although they are much better. We had a midfield today capable of moving the ball quickly with good footskills. Hartlett and Ebert add heaps in this area. The fast movement breaks past any midfield zoning, and more importantly, moves the ball quickly. This is precisely how Collingwood burn the opposition, through fast transition play. Kane will have trouble finding a spot under this gameplan.

The intensisty of the midfield was good after half time, forced tons of Crow turnovers.

Consistent intensity, and the ability to maintain the structures is the key moving forward.

Finally, even though we won well our skills and structure (especially forward) are still worrying... better teams will belt us. We had a lot of "scrapping goals" tonight.

this x2 "we had too many Scrapping goals"

 

[PJ Power]

Just getting back to Logan for a moment, that tackle he laid on the halfback line at the start of the third quarter (? on Jaensch) was an absolute ripper.

 

[razza12]

relief at last, but always new we would win tonight went and back us at $6 at quarter time. good to see ebert move to the middle which as last week with the magies, changed the game he belongs in the middle he won his magarey playing in the middle/wing. playing oshea further up the ground was a good move i think he showed signs of being a good player and people should lay of him.

lets make it a double today c'mon magies

 

[Dentshop]

Then they resorted to cliche'd mocking of Port supporters, and then, when it was really being served up back at them, it was all "hey man, it's just football, it's not life and death".

Nah, **** 'em all. Hope they're really suffering.

They really are quite predictable. It is like they all took lessons before being handed their season passes on how to be the most objectionable twits in football.

I usually dont rub it in too much but after some of the crap I heard from their mob this week putting the boots into Kane, Primus and our crowds (all ignorance by the way, typical) I am loving the win even more.

Complete ignorance and there is nothing better than hearing their blubbering, mouth-breathing bellyaching after a loss - especially after a loss to us.

Enjoy the win gang!

 

[charcolechaddy]

They really are quite predictable. It is like they all took lessons before being handed their season passes on how to be the most objectionable twits in football.

I usually dont rub it in too much but after some of the crap I heard from their mob this week putting the boots into Kane, Primus and our crowds (all ignorance by the way, typical) I am loving the win even more.

Complete ignorance and there is nothing better than hearing their blubbering, mouth-breathing bellyaching after a loss - especially after a loss to us.

Enjoy the win gang!

Love reading the adelaide boards today screaming for Craigs head, what a bute day.

 

[b0ydman]

I actually thought O'Shea was pretty good tonight There was that little patch in the third quarter when he ****ed up 3 times in as many minutes, that was terrible, but other than that I thought he was good. Should play against the GC next week.

Go, can I ask, have you ever seen a footballer head the ball from the goal line back into play?

His first kick was OOF
His 2nd was a non handball into the air
His 3rd touch was the header which cost a goal
the rest of the night he did 3 good things

1) the run back mark- very brave, well done
2) The tackle in Vince in the middle- that wasn't a tackle. He shut his eyes and ran into him sideways. He has arms, they ar enot for throwing into the air in a vain attempt to mark th eball going a metre over his head because he is stuck between the man with the ball and his man
3) The mark and composed goal.

I could do 2, but not 1 and 3, so I give him that I can now say after watching him for 4 successive games, with the complete freedom to go over the ground wherever he wants any time with no regard for his direct opponent, that he is a better AFL footballer than I am. That said,

all the oshea love I am reading has to be because

a) he plays for PAFC
b) if we stick it to him we have to accept that Lonie was not the worst player ever to play for PAFC
c) he is a nice young boy
d) no one naturally wants to be nasty for a kid who is obviously trying

we either are or arent a professional club

why should he be entitled to a free ride against GC when another player maybe jacobs or so on should be entitled to 1/5th of what free ride Oshea has been given?

this kid is a donkey. SANFL until later in the year, and IF he earns it, then play him again

 

[PJ Power]

Boydman, I'm not going to suggest that he has fully earnt his spot, or that we should persevere with him at the expense of playing someone else (say Banner for instance), but O'Shea is a four game player, in his first year at a club to which he was drafted as a late pick-up. He has been surrounded by thorough incompetence in his first 13 quarters of AFL football and has come up against at least 2 barnestorming top 4 sides in that time frame.

For all of his clangers (and there have been plenty, including all the ones you highlight), he has not dropped his head. He has continued to try to get into holes to intercept - his mark in the second quarter yesterday may have been the turning point that preceded the Trengove efforts to inspire us back into the match. He ran up and down the ground frenetically last night, and gave us regular options in link-up play, even if he did undo some of it with butchered kicks. Still, he didn't visibly fatigue and he didn't retreat into his shell when he stuffed things up. His goal, from that part of the ground, to put us in front no less, should not be under-estimated. It's the first time by my reckoning that we have led since very early in the Geelong game, and God knows we hadn't led any of our matches prior to that either.


So, rather than consigning him to complete "no-hoper" status, let's consider that he is plying his trade at AFL level before his time and that he is doing some good things within our team structure and new standards.

I'm pretty confident that he will be an AFL standard player - both across half-back and as a utility up field. I'd also point out, that last year, people on this board were ruthless in their criticism of Andrew Moore and still bemoan his selection at pick 9 in the '09 draft. Moore played in ten matches last year, for 9 wins. For all of his clangers, he actually defended bloody well and put his body on the line time and time again. I'm happy for us to persevere with these sorts of players, for all of the short-term pain it causes, rather than watch us recruit and get useless games into front runners.

 

[Malibu#27]

I'm by No means a Kane basher, but I can't think of a time last night that I thought we were missing him.

That being said I hope he is successful in reinventing himself as his commitment and attitude are second to none

 

[PJ Power]

I'm by No means a Kane basher, but I can't think of a time last night that I thought we were missing him.

That being said I hope he is successful in reinventing himself as his commitment and attitude are second to none

From previous matches late last year, Kane's contribution last night, probably would have been as the guy who called for the backwards handball in the second half, to stop our momentum.

I don't mean to be a basher either, but he definitely thwarts the style of play we showed last night. He simply does not contribute to forward momentum or penetration with the footy, in any way that I can think of. I cannot see us reinventing him to become an offensive weapon in anything under 12 weeks.

 

[tribey]

It's never a good thing to generalise but i agree, they can all go **** themselves. I don't care how nice they want to pretend to be.

We had a group of about 20 of them plonk themselves down next to us and a more obnoxious, frontrunning group of plebs you will never see. When Adelaide were up and about they were poking us with flags, screaming in faces, trying to provoke shit, chanting "look at the scoreboard" 10 minutes into the second quarter. All well and good, but once they started getting hammered barely a murmur was heard from the spineless pricks. Then they resorted to cliche'd mocking of Port supporters, and then, when it was really being served up back at them, it was all "hey man, it's just football, it's not life and death".

Nah, **** 'em all. Hope they're really suffering.

After that ridiculous display, I come home and swing by the Adelaide board to have a look at their thoughts on the game.

I repeatedly read things like "they're a pathetic football club", "rabble" and "soft". I even read a conspiracy theory that Pearce was dropped by Haysman and Kornes was held back from the Bays because they wanted him at the FL dinner.

This coming from supporters of a club who haven't seen a Grand Final appearance in 13 years despite having an array of Hall of Famers forming the nucleus of their side.

This coming from supporters of a club who've witnessed repeated finals failures from commanding positions.

This coming from supporters of a club that is one of the most well-resourced in the league and has no excuses in terms of off-field personnel and facilities.

This coming from supporters of a club who "restructured" Craig's contract because... well... because.

This coming from supporters of a club whose players squibbed countless groundball contests last night and simply didn't want to put their bodies on the line or their heads over the ball.

This coming from supporters of a club that have gone back to the position of 'centre loose bitch' on Showdown day.

These clowns need to look in their own backyard.

Shit club. Shit supporters. Shit people.

 

[sog35]

That Vince moment mentioned was massive. He was marking his man on the wing and took the chance of running off to put pressure on and eventually dispossess the opposition. Not sure if this was visible on TV but it was just another selfless act that was a theme of 3/4's of the match. At some stage he'll drop back to the SANFL this year but I'm currently happy with us getting game time into him.

 

[finbarr]

After that ridiculous display, I come home and swing by the Adelaide board to have a look at their thoughts on the game.

I repeatedly read things like "they're a pathetic football club", "rabble" and "soft". I even read a conspiracy theory that Pearce was dropped by Haysman and Kornes was held back from the Bays because they wanted him at the FL dinner.

This coming from supporters of a club who haven't seen a Grand Final appearance in 13 years despite having an array of Hall of Famers forming the nucleus of their side.

This coming from supporters of a club who've witnessed repeated finals failures from commanding positions.

This coming from supporters of a club that is one of the most well-resourced in the league and has no excuses in terms of off-field personnel and facilities.

This coming from supporters of a club who "restructured" Craig's contract because... well... because.

This coming from supporters of a club whose players squibbed countless groundball contests last night and simply didn't want to put their bodies on the line or their heads over the ball.

This coming from supporters of a club that have gone back to the position of 'centre loose bitch' on Showdown day.

These clowns need to look in their own backyard.

Shit club. Shit supporters. Shit people.

Summed up beautifully. After last night's efforts by that pathetic mob of bell-ringing, wig-wearing, abuse hurling, obnoxious band of hillbillies next to us, i just have no time for any of them. It was like Bay13 came to the footy.

 

[Quadzilla]

It's never a good thing to generalise but i agree, they can all go **** themselves. I don't care how nice they want to pretend to be.

We had a group of about 20 of them plonk themselves down next to us and a more obnoxious, frontrunning group of plebs you will never see. When Adelaide were up and about they were poking us with flags, screaming in faces, trying to provoke shit, chanting "look at the scoreboard" 10 minutes into the second quarter. All well and good, but once they started getting hammered barely a murmur was heard from the spineless pricks. Then they resorted to cliche'd mocking of Port supporters, and then, when it was really being served up back at them, it was all "hey man, it's just football, it's not life and death".

Nah, **** 'em all. Hope they're really suffering.

... reminds me of Glenelg supporters at numerous GFs ... they just have a 'port' complex

 

[Natman]

Summed up beautifully. After last night's efforts by that pathetic mob of bell-ringing, wig-wearing, abuse hurling, obnoxious band of hillbillies next to us, i just have no time for any of them. It was like Bay13 came to the footy.

I had a couple of hybrids next to me and when they started criticising Mots for his 2 goal performance, they qiuckly shut when I just happened to mention - just more than a few times - that he had doubled Tippet's 1 goal performance.

 

[Burningleviathan]

I'm by No means a Kane basher, but I can't think of a time last night that I thought we were missing him.

That being said I hope he is successful in reinventing himself as his commitment and attitude are second to none

Was their any time last night when Cassisi's abscence was felt? Schulz? maybe the 1st quarter with him.
Whewn teams are playing well, you never notice the players that are out.
The only we will miss either of those players is when we play a decent midfield. We'll miss'04 Kane when we can't contain someone (it would be present Kane if he was given that role) and Cassisi when we are failing to create contests in pack situations.

Neither of them are A graders really. Though i think we would be straighter/better with Schulz in.